Historical Traveler Reviews Hyatt Ziva Puerto Vallarta

Very nice - not perfect

from susanjb

My husband and I just got back from a 5 day stay at Camino Real PV. It was, as most people say, a very nice property. The grounds are attractive, not amazing, but the beach is fabulous and the palm trees make it even nicer. Staff is pretty efficient and polite. We got a very good deal on a package vacation and always felt we got a bargain.On the downside - not all the rooms have balconies. All do have ocean view but many of the rooms (most) in the older building have a sliding glass door in the room, but no balcony. The rooms are comfortable but in serious need of updating. They are not posh, by any means. Very serviceable and clean. And large. Our A/C didn't work great at the hottest part of the day but was fine for most of the time we were in the room.The restaurants are expensive but not the worst we've seen in resort hotels in Mexico. Azulejos is ok and their brunch buffet is nice (not fabulous) but we thought $14 per person was a bit high for every day. (One more reason to consider an upgrade to "club level" where breakfast is included.) Maria Bonita - their newish on-premise Meixcan restaurant - was an unmitigated disaster. Bad food, bad service, terrible music -forget it. Don't eat there. Lobby bar and pool bar are nice. Prices ok. We ordered room service dessert nearly every night and were very pleased with the prices and the service (and the desserts).Camino Real seems best suites for families - and there were many there. It's predictable and dependable and easy. It's not near anything but a cab ride to town is only $3 and takes little time so it's quite convenient.We'd stay there again (which is pretty good praise) but can't rave about the hotel like some on here do.

Very Nice

from mssuek

Our first time at the Camino Real. We normally stay in the Romantic Zone, but had no regrets. Lovely hotel, nice room. Opted not to upgrade to the Club rooms as we don't spend anytime in the room. The front desk was efficient but not friendly. On our first day, our room had not been cleaned by 4 pm, but one phone call to housekeeping cured that. The Bellmen at this hotel are the absolute best, for making reservations, giving directions, anything you need. Crispin at the Lobby bar was also great. His english is limited so it gave me a great chance to practice my spanish. The pool is great for sunning and swimming. Service around the pool was quite slow, but as it was the low season, I imagine they let some folks go til next fall. As long as we can get a great rate like we did for this trip, we will stay there again.

Camino Real is the best

from icedteasgp

May, 2003 - Just got back from the Camino Real Puerto Vallarta and had an amazing time. Best beach, terrific service, friendly staff, great breakfast buffet, and nice touches everywhere. The regular rooms are nice, but I highly recommend paying the extra $30 US per night for a Camino Real Club room.Recommended restaurants: Le Kliffe for the best sunset view; La Palapa for the best beachfront dining experience.

One of the best ever!

from anonymous

First time in Vallarta and we could not have been happier with our stay at Camino Real. It is simply beautiful with the nicest private beach in town. The hotel is extremely clean, the staff is extraordinary, the rooms exquisite and the food was exceptional. This is not a cheap place to stay and not a place for party animals but is a great value. We stayed in the club tower for 6 nites and the original room for 1 nite. The Tower room was alot bigger and you get a great happy hour with it but the smaller(and older) room was also quite nice and we wouldn't hesitate to stay there either. The staff goes out of their way to serve you and they make you feel special. This is a very special place and we definitely will return, Oh yeah, the pool is also great!

3/15/03 Fabolous Hotel!! Best In PV!!

from anonymous

This was an incredible hotel! We received a complimentary upgrade to a king size room and all the rooms have an ocean view. Super clean and a great staff! The service is superb and the restaurants are delightful. 2 pools; one with a swim-up bar. Happy hour 2 for 1 from 5 to 7 pm. American Express Travel Agent in the hotel to plan excursions. My girlfriend and I went on a sunset cruise and it was amazing. The hotel has the prettiest beach in PV and is secluded. However, it is only about 30 pesos (roughly $3) to get a cab into town. It is only about a 5 minute drive into town. As for restaurants in PV, we recommend La Palapa (dining on the beach) and Blue Shrimp. Basically PV is great and this is the best hotel in PV! Good luck!

Exquisite Mexican Hotel

from anonymous

We have been going to Camino Real every spring for the past 6 years. It is a gem of a hotel - the location is perfect, not to far from town, has a private, sandy, immaculate beach. The service and food is graet - especially the morning breakfast buffet. We have made reservations for our trip in March and looking forward to spending wonderful time at CAMINO

Close In and Extraordinary Service

from Yontahey

For mature travellers (i.e. no kids) can't think of a nicer place for the money. Service and staff are extraordinary. Food is top notch. The pocket beach is exceptional and not overrun with vendors. Cab fare to town is nothing-like35 pesos!

Hotel is 30 years old and rooms are ready for a good refurbish, however that in no way detracted from our visit. Went last fall and going to PV again in Febrary-and staying at the Camino Real.

Great Rooms...

from anonymous

We satyed one time at the Camino Real by accident, Our Hotel had over booked so they arrainged to to have us stay here. It was a very good upgrade from the Sheradon. The only problems we had was the distance from anything to do. Who wants to stay all vacation in the room or just on the beach?

The staff was very friendly and the place was very clean with large rooms and beautiful views of the bay. If you are looking for a quiet place to stay away from the noise this is your place.

Very Nice Getaway

from anonymous

My wife and I visited Puerto Vallarta for the first time in March of 2002. We were only going to be there for 4 days and just wanted a quiet beach and a nice hotel. We found both at the Camino Real. Since it is on the south end of the resort area, it was set off by itself and not tied in with a string of hotels like the ones to the north. Our room was in the tower with a great view of the ocean. Service was good, and the restaurants provide a nice variety. The beach and pools are great if you just want to relax and read. Vendors wander the beach, but won't bother you unless you want them to. We took a $5 cab ride up to the downtown area and saw the shops and sights in one afternoon. Caught the city bus back to the hotel for 30 cents. The nightlife is limited, so if you want to party hard, you'll have to head back into town. If we ever go back to PV, the Camino is where we would stay again.

One of the best Mexican facilities

from anonymous

We will be returning for another stay in a few days. Last one was October, 2001. This hotel is a great value, private beach, great restaurants, incredible service from an attentive staff with a good attitude.

TripAdvisor Reviews Hyatt Ziva Puerto Vallarta

Outstanding

Travel Blogs from Puerto Vallarta

Day 2 of our holidays and we are up early again. We need to catch the shuttle to the airport at 8, which is hard for ann as she wants to sleep in. We got to the shuttle right on time and having already gotten our boarding passes went to the luggage line; but we did not have baggage tags so we had to go back to get them. Having completed all of the …

I got up just after 8 and following last times tradition went to save a spot on the beach, get coffee and some baked goods. I was hoping to get chairs in the front row under a palapus but they were all taken except for one which had a very short palapus which I didn't think would work; so I got one on the second row. The coffe shop is in a new spot …

We were woken up to a Captain's general announcement that we are directly in the hurricane's path. This is not a good thing. We aren't disembarking here in Puerto Vallarta as planned. The ship had to stop to deal with a medical emergency, but then we will hasten to LA in an attempt to beat the storm. It is back up to a Catagory 4 with seas of 35 feet and wind gusts of 120 miles per hour. This is not a good thing. Right ...

we made it to mexico after about 36 hours of travel from england, thanks to a long wait in LAX for the next flight. since we were so wiped out, we decided to take an extra day here at the beach to hang out. it is hot and humid here in puerta vallarta! we poor alaskans canīt handle the heat!!! south of the river cuale, the town is much different than the vallarta ...